Leadership Failure all the way to the Bank at U.S. Steel (013)

"I know the roof is leaking, but I think the smart move is to spend almost $1.2 billion buying our stock."

Between 2021-2023, while U.S. Steel's facilities crumbled, CEO David Burritt directed nearly $1.2 billion toward stock buybacks instead of crucial modernization. During this same period, Burritt collected $31 million in stock-based compensation.

The irony emerged when Nippon Steel's purchase proposal included $1.4 billion for the desperately needed facility improvements that leadership had bypassed.

When President Biden blocked the acquisition, he unknowingly sealed the fate of a national asset sacrificed by leadership that prioritized short-term gains over long-term sustainability.